Kevin Robert Cadigan

Kevin Robert Cadigan of Chapel Hill, NC, formerly of Los Osos, CA, died on February 17, 2025, as the result of a stroke. He was 86.

Born in 1938 in Swarthmore, PA, to Robert James and Rosemary (Cowden) Cadigan, Kevin kept an almost lifelong connection to his hometown. After leaving Swarthmore to head to college and on to early career opportunities, he later returned to raise his family. He served the community as an active member of the Rotary Club, and in his later years wrote many short stories about his childhood in 1940s Swarthmore—mostly factual accounts but always enhanced with his distinctive humor.

Kevin graduated as valedictorian from Friends’ Central School in Philadelphia in 1956 and earned a BS in Journalism and History from Northwestern University in 1960. He completed an MA in History from Michigan State University in 1962, followed by doctoral research at Oxford University from 1962 to 1965.

A dedicated historian, Kevin was inducted into both Phi Alpha Theta and Phi Kappa Phi and twice elected Beit Senior Research Scholar in British Imperial History at Oxford. Throughout his life he particularly focused on World War II and Winston Churchill, maintaining membership in the International Churchill Society.

While at Oxford Kevin met his future wife, Judith Cooper of Hereford, England, who was working as Clerk to the Hebdomadal Council, the chief executive body for the University. They were married in the Lady Chapel of Hereford Cathedral in January 1965 and happily celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2025.

After Oxford, they moved to Tennessee, where Kevin taught history at Southwestern-at-Memphis College (now Rhodes College). He later returned to Pennsylvania to teach at Allegheny College. In 1970 the couple settled down to raise their children in Swarthmore, and Kevin joined, and eventually became head of, the Financial Aid department at Temple University in Philadelphia. He worked at Temple for the remainder of his career and served as vice president of his college workers’ union. Lifelong friends were made with fellow Swarthmoreans who also worked at Temple and made the daily commute into Center City together.

Kevin enjoyed traveling extensively with Judith. Together, they drove coast to coast across America multiple times, sightseeing as they went and achieving their goal to see all fifty states. International travels included the Galapagos Islands, Bermuda, Madagascar, Mexico, Kenya, South Africa, Japan, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, the Canadian Rockies, Vietnam, Ireland, and much of Great Britain.

In 2003 they built a house in Los Osos, on the central coast of California, an area that Kevin had particularly loved during their travels. His time in Los Osos was perhaps the happiest of his life and he and Judith lived there until 2017, when they moved to Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, NC, to be near their daughter Jean and her family. They continued to return to Los Osos annually.

Kevin will be remembered for his generosity, curiosity, humor, and love and devotion to family, friends, and pets.

He is survived by his wife Judith; daughters Anne Cadigan (Paula Mauro) and Jean Cadigan (Mark Cornell); grandson Charlie Cornell; and sister Rosemary “Posey” Cadigan.

A funeral service will be held this summer at St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church in Los Osos, CA.